County Council sets public hearing on new RapidRide lines, including Tukwila

The Metropolitan King County Council’s Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee will take public input on the proposed alignments and stations for Metro Transit’s two RapidRide lines that will begin operating in 2013, including a new Tukwila line.

The meeting is at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 17 in the King County Council Chambers, 10th Floor, at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue in downtown Seattle.

RapidRide E Line will connect Shoreline with downtown Seattle. The RapidRide F Line will travel between Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Renton. The two routes, the fifth and sixth RapidRide lines, are scheduled to begin service in the fall of 2013.

The ordinance that will be heard by the committee would approve the routing and station locations for the RapidRide E and F Lines.

Running 19 hours a day seven days a week and arriving at least every 10 minutes during the weekday morning and evening commute, RapidRide buses have low floors and three doors, so people can get on and off quickly.

RapidRide was implemented in 2010 with the arrival of the A Line on Pacific Highway South between Federal Way and Tukwila International Boulevard Link Light Rail Station. It was joined in 2011 by the B Line connecting downtown Bellevue with downtown Redmond via Overlake and Crossroads. The twin centerpieces of the fall 2012 service change will be the Sept. 29 launch of RapidRide Line C, connecting West Seattle and downtown Seattle, and Line D, connecting Ballard with downtown Seattle.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to submit your comments to the committee, they can be sent to: testimony@kingcounty.gov.

Contact Tukwila Reporter Reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@tukwilareporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

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